by Alex Siegel
Thorn was standing in the middle of the action with a smile. He had lured his enemies into a trap.
Stony decided to wipe that smile off Thorn's face. Stony let go of his AA-12 and grabbed a flashbang grenade. He stepped forward, but the vines pushed back. Hardened skin protected his hands from thorns as he tore the vines violently out of his way. Black sap spurted everywhere. Every inch forward was a battle.
Stony pulled the pin on the grenade and forced it into Thorn's mouth, breaking a few teeth in the process. Thorn's eyes widened with alarm and pain. He tried to shove Stony away but didn't have the strength. Stony had turned himself into a statue with his arms wrapped tightly around Thorn's head. Thorn became frantic as he tried to spit out the grenade, but Stony kept it in. Vines coiled around him until they looked like mummy wrappings, and they squeezed with crushing force. Thorn's muffled yells filled the air, and he kicked Stony's rock-hard shins.
The grenade detonated.
The M84 stun grenade had just a modest amount of explosive. It was designed to make a lot of noise rather than kill, but that assumed the detonation occurred in the open. Exploding within the confines of a man's mouth changed the outcome. Thorn's brains sprayed the ceiling, and the top half of his head blew off. All the black vines instantly went limp.
Stony stepped back, wiping his hands on his vest. "Yuck."
He checked his teammates. They had bite marks on their faces, but the wounds didn't look serious. He had acted in time.
"That guy was tough," Brian said.
"We should've shot him right away," Mia said.
"I told you something was off with him," Veronica said.
"Next time, just shoot him yourself," Stony said. "Orcus, Diana, and the kidnapped kids are still unaccounted for. Let's find them."
The team stormed through the rest of the house without finding anybody.
They checked the shed next. When Stony saw the five children inside, he felt bittersweet relief. The kids were alive, but their traumatic experience would leave emotional scars that would last a lifetime. He also expected six, which meant that one was probably dead. Mia and Veronica began to untie the children and release them from their cages.
Stony looked around. "Where the hell are Orcus and Diana?"
The satellite phone was on his utility belt. He grabbed it and dialed Director Robertson.
As soon as the call went through, Stony spoke, "We killed Thorn and Pomona, sir, and found the kids, but Orcus and Diana are missing!"
"I think I might know where they are," the director said. "Recon spotted a bear chasing a gray panther."
"Where?"
"A mile north of your position."
Stony started running towards rocky hills in the distance. "Brian!" he yelled over his shoulder. "Mia! You're with me! Orcus is trying to kill Diana!"
* * *
Diana was hiding behind a boulder as she desperately tried to catch her breath. Her limbs trembled from exhaustion. She was afraid she would have to run again at any moment. Orcus was a relentless hunter, guided by his eyes, ears, and very sensitive nose. She couldn't shake him. She could outrun him in bursts, but over long distances, he had the advantage. Eventually, he would wear her down and kill her.
Diana's panther nose picked up a familiar scent, one she had never expected to smell again. Flora? But she's dead.
Diana peeked around the boulder. Orcus was sniffing the ground about a hundred yards away at a lower elevation. She waited until he was facing the other way, and then she crept upwind towards the source of the scent. She stayed so low, she was dragging her furry belly across rocks.
She dashed over a slight ridge and came face-to-face with an African hyena. The animal had golden fir with brown spots. It was Flora, except she had no collar.
Diana tried to put a paw on Flora's forehead, but it passed right through. Flora was a ghost. She shimmered in the sunlight like a soap bubble. Her soft fur was perfectly clean.
Hello, Diana, Flora sent. It's nice to see you again.
How is this possible? Diana sent.
A large, gray wolf approached with an elegant strut. It was Pomona, and she had also lost her collar. A surreal glow made Diana's heart sink.
You're dead, Diana thought sadly.
It's for the best, Pomona sent. My life was a nightmare, thanks to Orcus.
Flora's and Pomona's eyes were full of anger. Diana understood why they had come back from the dead. The slave-sisters would fight together to defeat the beast who had tormented them.
The wolf and the hyena ran fearlessly towards Orcus. Diana followed a few paces behind. She still had her own life to protect and was happy to let the already dead lead the way.
She wondered if Rathanael had arranged this miracle. It was also possible that Flora and Pomona had used their own dark powers to get revenge from beyond the grave. Regardless of the cause, Diana was grateful.
Orcus looked up at the approaching trio without giving any ground. He was ready to fight all three of them.
Flora and Pomona went straight in and snapped at Orcus with their teeth. He swiped with his claws, but the wolf and the hyena danced aside before the blows connected. Diana wondered why they were just teasing the bear, and then she remembered they were ghosts. They couldn't actually hurt Orcus.
Diana realized what she had to do. While Orcus was distracted, she ran around behind him. She jumped onto his back and sank her hind claws into his tough hide. She used her fore claws to latch onto his neck as hard as she could. Extra strength flowed from her collar.
He roared in pain and thrashed violently. He tried to shake her off like a dog shaking off water. When he scratched her front leg with his claws, she was forced to let go, but she took a good chunk of his throat with her. A flap of torn brown fur was stuck in her right claw.
Diana backed away. Her wounded arm made her hobble, but the limb would still bear her weight for now. Orcus came after her as blood gushed from his throat. The dark color indicated she had punctured a jugular vein. He would bleed to death eventually, but he still had some time left for revenge.
Flora and Pomona ran around to protect her. They barked and snapped at Orcus, forcing him to worry about them instead of Diana. He swiped at Flora, and this time she wasn't quick enough to avoid the attack. His claw passed straight through her ghostly form. He stared at her for a moment, and then understanding dawned in his eyes.
Orcus lumbered after Diana, ignoring the hyena and the wolf. Diana ran as best she could, but the wounded forearm slowed her down. She decided that running on two good legs was better than three good and one bad. She transformed back into a woman, one without clothes. The cool mountain air against her bare skin made her shiver. Sharp rocks hurt her bare feet.
She was faster now, and she realized being human gave her another advantage. She could climb. She headed for a spot where the slope was steep and slippery. Orcus's heavy footsteps thumped behind her, getting closer.
Diana scrambled up the slope, scraping her hands and shins. Orcus swiped at her, and she twisted to avoid his attack. He slid backwards on the loose sand and roared in frustration. Blood had soaked the fur on his chest.
She abruptly grabbed a heavy rock, turned, and hurled it directly into his face. Fear enhanced her already exceptional strength, and the rock hit him hard enough to rip open his snout. She threw another rock, striking his right eye. He bellowed loudly enough to hurt her ears.
Diana dug her hands into the sand and waited for Orcus to come at her again. He shook his head. Then he focused his one good eye on her and charged. She threw sand directly into his face, temporarily blinding him.
She transformed back into the panther, jumped onto his back, and used her claws to gouge his eyes. She also ripped open his nose to eliminate his sense of smell.
He rolled onto his back in an attempt to crush her, but she hopped off just in time. She attacked his soft belly, tearing his flesh with her claws and teeth. She used all her strength to shred him.
He sma
cked her with a huge paw. She tumbled down the slope helplessly. She came to rest against some rocks with her head spinning.
She looked up at Orcus. He was staggering around blindly as his strength faded away. He finally collapsed to the ground. He turned back into a man, and he looked like he had been attacked with an icepick. Blood covered his face.
"Diana!" he moaned.
Diana became human so she could answer him. "You bastard! We finally beat you!"
"How could you betray me? I took care of you. I taught you so much. I gave you powers drawn from the darkest depths of Hell."
"You tortured me and stole my freedom."
"I don't know you anymore," Orcus said weakly.
"You never knew me. I was just a pretty toy for you to play with. I'm a woman, not a toy! My life is finally beginning, and yours is over! Die!"
He became silent and still.
Diana heard approaching footsteps on the loose rocks. She turned her head. Stony, Mia, and Brian were running towards her.
Stony reached Diana first. He helped her sit up.
"You're late," she said. "I had to kill him myself. Well, I had a little help."
She looked around but didn't see any sign of Flora and Pomona. Diana hoped their souls had found some peace.
"I see that," Stony said. "Next time, I won't be so worried about you. You are officially a third division bad-ass, although you still have a lot to learn. We took care of Thorn."
Brian walked up the hill and checked Orcus's body. "Definitely dead," Brian said. "The mission is over."
Stony helped Diana to her feet. "Let's get that arm stitched up and go home."
* * *
Diana leaned on Stony for support as she picked her way through the wilderness. Her lack of clothing made the situation awkward. He kept his eyes up and pointed forward at all times. He made sure not to touch certain parts of her body. He maintained a grim expression in case Mia was watching, as if assisting a beautiful, naked woman was a terrible chore.
Stony finally reached Thorn's house. Dozens of PEA agents were on the scene, and they had brought a variety of emergency vehicles. Stony helped Diana climb into the back of an ambulance. A medic immediately gave her a blanket so she could cover herself.
Stony turned to Mia. "Now we just need to find a ride home."
"Not quite yet." She held up the doll that he had found on the bus. "Let's see who this belongs to."
The agents had put up a canopy to use as a command post and medical center. The five surviving children were sitting on blankets under the canopy. More blankets were wrapped around their small bodies, and they were slurping from big bottles of water. Doctors were gently examining the kids and asking them questions.
Mia stood in front of the kids and held up the doll. "Who does this belong to?"
A little girl with brown hair squealed, "Molly!"
Mia gave the doll to her, and the girl began to cry tears of joy. She cuddled the toy like it was alive. Mia wrapped her arms around both of them and pulled them against her chest.
Stony felt an unfamiliar lump in his throat. In his line of work, caring too much was dangerous, and he tried to maintain a safe emotional distance at all times. Looking at the little girl shattered his resolve, and a tear ran down his own cheek. He almost joined the hugging. He couldn't remember the last time he had hugged a child.
He walked swiftly over to Thorn's house. His excuse was that he wanted to look for more evidence while it was still fresh.
Stony went into the house through the back door. He found a group of PEA agents examining Thorn's grotesque remains. The monster was more vines than human, and black blood had spattered everywhere. There was probably a long story behind Thorn's transformation into a man-eating vegetable, but Stony didn't care to hear it.
"You killed this thing, sir?" an agent said.
Stony nodded. "I made him eat a grenade. He blew his top."
All the agents looked at him with fearful expressions. He would be the first to admit he was also a monster.
"Hey!" Mia said. "There you are."
Stony faced her as she walked into the room. "Just looking for evidence," he said.
"Your eyes are red."
"The air is dusty and dry."
She smirked. "Sure. That must be what it is. We can go home now."
"That sounds like a great idea. This place stinks of dog shit and death."
* * *
"This food is amazing!" Stony said. "You're an incredible cook!"
Diana smiled. "Thank you. I had fun cooking. This might be the first full meal I've ever made where I wasn't worried about being whipped if I burnt it."
Stony, Mia, Brian, Veronica, and Diana were sitting around the dining table in the Mess Hall. The table was just a rectangle of plain wood, but the team considered it fine dining. Diana had prepared a whole turkey, butternut squash, string beans, French onion soup, and wild rice. Every dish was tender and spiced to perfection. Stony planned on taking a second helping of everything as soon as he had room on his plate.
Unfortunately, Kane couldn't share the meal. He was still recovering in the hospital. The team would put together a care package for him.
"You're not a servant," Mia said. "Don't feel obligated to cook for us. We can feed ourselves... more or less."
Stony thought about his diet of frozen, canned, and processed food. He wasn't going to complain if Diana volunteered to cook more of his meals.
"It's my way of thanking you for taking me in," Diana said. "I know it wasn't easy for all of you." She glanced at Veronica. "Besides, it's a great kitchen. I enjoy working in it."
"I'd rather you work on your training."
"I thought I did pretty well on this last mission."
"There is always room for improvement," Mia said.
Rathanael walked into the room. "Indeed," he said. "That's true for all of us."
"Sir?" Stony looked up at the angel. "You came to eat with us?"
"No. I came for the collar."
Rathanael looked at Diana's iron collar which was still around her neck. Stony had almost grown accustomed to seeing the ugly thing.
Diana touched the collar. "But I want to keep it. I can feel your blessing. It's like a warm, invisible blanket around me."
"I will not have one of my chosen warriors wearing a symbol of slavery."
"Please?" she pleaded. "The collar helped me when I needed a little extra strength. Can I just cover it with a scarf or something?"
The angel sighed. "We'll compromise. Come here, my child."
Diana walked around the table and stood before him. His hands caressed the collar, and the dull iron transformed into gleaming silver. The collar stretched and expanded, becoming a necklace with a pattern of woven filaments.
She held the necklace up to her eyes. "It's beautiful! Thank you!"
Rathanael smiled. "And quite valuable, I think. My best work. Take good care of it."
He headed for the door. Then he stopped, turned, and grabbed a string bean with his fingers. He took out his gum and ate the bean.
"Do you like it?" Diana said hopefully.
"Not bad. Not bad at all." The angel left the room.
She took another look at her necklace with an expression of delight.
"It's lovely," Mia said, "but I suggest you sit down and finish your meal. Stony is eyeing your plate like a hungry dog."
Stony straightened. "I would never steal food from a teammate. That's unprofessional. The woman I love, on the other hand, is a different matter."
He snatched a drumstick from Mia's plate and took a big bite. She snorted green gas. He held his breath, leaned over, and gave her a greasy kiss on the lips.
THE END
To be continued in... HUNGRY WOLVES
A Request from the Author
You've just finished reading my book, but there is one last task. Please return to the site where you purchased this book and leave a review. Kind reviews are the best way to convince other readers
to try a book. Positive feedback also encourages me to write more books, and I'm sure you want to see what adventures await Stony, Mia, and the rest of the team. It should only take five minutes, and it really makes a difference. Thank you!
For a complete list of books written by Alex Siegel, please check http://www.grayspearsociety.com/.